THE Thames Barrier will close its gates to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee pageant.
On June 3, the river will close to normal traffic, allowing a flotilla of 1,000 vessels to travel along it in celebration of the Queen’s 60-year reign.
A range of technical tests will be carried out while the gates are closed from around 9.30am until 11.30pm.
Every month the barrier is shut to check it is functioning properly, but once a year, a full closure is performed over a high tide.
Thames Barrier flood risk manager Andy Batchelor said: "The pageant gives us a unique opportunity to test its design for a longer period than we would normally be able to.
"We will be able to maintain a higher water level upstream than downstream, giving us a chance to test how the barrier performs under these conditions."
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